Aug 28, 2008
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Aug 28, 2008
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Buyers' Guide
Digital Video Camcorders
BackgroundWhen the VCR became popular in the early 1980's, it wasn't long before consumer video cameras began to push out the old, film-based 8mm home movie cameras. Their appeal was the absence of film; you just removed the tape and played it in your home VCR. It was also easier to edit your home movies. But early video cameras were large, and the batteries bulky and heavy. It took effort to assemble all the gear required and lug it around to shoot your masterpiece. Today's video cameras are a fraction of the size and weight of their ancestors. Size has decreased and the quality of video greatly increased. Thanks to digital technology, they are easier to carry and use and prices are lower than ever. Top Digital Camcorders
   
 How to DecideWith all of these advances, it is not hard to decide that now might be the time to upgrade the video camera that you haven't pulled out of the closet for years. Maybe you are ready to take the plunge into video for the first time because you have a vacation or an important family event planned or want to get beyond your digital still shots. But all those technical terms, multiple models, and fast-talking salesmen have you a bit intimidated. We will provide all the information you will need to make a sound decision, starting with the features to consider:
The Right Format - MiniDVThe first digital camcorders tried to maintain some consistency with the previous generation of analog camcorders by using the same tape. But once they let go of that connection and settled on MiniDV tape as the standard format, they were able to move to the small sizes we see today. A MiniDV tape cartridge is one twelfth the size of a standard video cassette, but capable of recording at a higher resolution! There are other formats out there, but stick with MiniDV. It has been the standard for several years. The CCD and Progressive ScanThe film in your old camera served two functions. When you clicked the shutter you let in the light reflected from the scene you were photographing. That light was captured by the film in a way that accurately reflected the colors, shapes and shadows of that scene. You then advanced the film, since each section stored the image until the film could be processed. The CCD, or charge coupled device, of a digital camcorder takes care of the light capture aspect of film. It turns that light image into a digital signal stored on the MiniDV tape. Because the CCD is at the heart of the capture process you want one of sufficient resolution to capture the scene accurately. Resolution of a CCD is measured in pixels. Progressive scan refers to a complete scan of an image evry frame, instead of th interlaced half-scan used by regular CCD cameras. Quality is twice as good and this feature is recommended by those who want finer images. A 3CCD camera has one CCD for red, green and blue lightm resulting in an image of three time higher resolution than regular CCD cameras. Look for specifications indicating at least 650,000 effective pixels. Today's camcorders, particularly as you move up in price, often have pixel counts of 1 million to 2 million. This is also useful for still image capture which we will cover next. Two in One?In our efforts to carry as few items as possible we often look for products that can serve several functions. Typically, that means some level of compromise compared to a product that is designed to specialize in that particular function. Camcorders and still cameras are no different. It would be great if you could use your digital camcorder to take great still images at the same time. And to an extent you can do just that. As you move up in price you will see camcorders with CCDs of 1 million to 2 million pixels. This is the same as the 1 megapixel or 2 megapixel digital cameras that were popular only a few years ago. But digital cameras have advanced just as quickly as camcorders, and it is now common to see 3 to 5 megapixel digital cameras. Additionally, the CCDs found in a camcorder are designed to capture moving images played back on a TV. That requires a different CCD design than one to capture still images that will be printed in large sizes. Thus, still images taken with a camcorder tend to be of lower resolution, with more "noise" or subtle distortion. However, particularly if taken with a camcorder with a 1 to 2 megapixel CCD, they are great for viewing on the computer or sending with email, and the convenience can't be beat. Usually these camcorders will have a memory card slot so you can save the still images separately from your moving images. ZoomDigital camcorders and digital cameras share a number of features. One of those features is the ability to zoom in on a distant object or get a close-up head shot of a person standing six to ten feet away. And like digital cameras, you may see high numbers advertised for digital zoom. Ignore those numbers. The only important numbers are for optical zoom, which is accomplished with the lens and should result in a zoom with no distortion. Typically you will see numbers of at least 10X optical zoom. Make sure your camcorder also has optical image stabilization to hold that distant image steady. LCDFor ease of viewing, camcorders provide both a standard viewfinder and an LCD screen. In most cases, the LCD will be 2.5-inches, although some may be as large as 3.5-inches. You can use them while you are taking your movies instead of the viewfinder, although that will cut into your battery life. But because they can swivel you can use them in situations when because of people in front of you or other obstacles you can't hold the camera up to your eye. They are also great for showing scenes you have just taped - the point of taking videos, no? Getting the Movie OutAmong the many advantages of our recommended digital camcorders is that you can easily connect them to your computer for editing and then saving the final result all in digital format. That means there is no loss from the original, right to the final product on a DVD. And you can make as many exact duplicates as you want. To start this process you will need to find a camcorder with a connector that goes by a variety of names, but all do the same thing. You may see it listed as Firewire, i. Link, or IEEE 1394. You will also need the corresponding connector on your computer. New computers usually come with at least one of these connectors. If your computer doesn't have one, you can add it with the addition of an internal card. If you are going to purchase editing software you may find a bundle package that includes the software and the card together at a great price. |